A hatchet is a small axe with a short handle, designed to be used with one hand. You might use a hatchet to chop kindling for a campfire, trim small branches, or shape wood for a project. Unlike a full-sized axe that requires two hands and powerful swings, a hatchet is lighter and more controlled, making it safer and easier for detailed work.

Hatchets have been essential tools for thousands of years. Campers carry them for building fires and shelters. Carpenters use them for rough shaping before switching to finer tools. In survival situations, a good hatchet can help you build shelter, prepare firewood, and craft other tools you might need.

The phrase bury the hatchet means to end a fight or disagreement and make peace. This expression comes from a tradition in which warring groups would literally bury their weapons in the ground as a symbol of peace. When two friends bury the hatchet after an argument, they're agreeing to let go of their anger and move forward.